Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Prevention and control of plant disease always remain a foremost apprehension worldwide. Use of chemicals to control the diseases is one of the practical methods for the growers, which creates a great harm not only to the ecosystem and environment but also to human health. Thus, developing biological ways to control plant diseases is of high priority. Paecilomyces sp. is common soil Ascomycetes with a cosmopolitan distribution. This genus is effective against different species of plant pathogenic microbes, nematodes and insects. Metabolites from these fungi are not only control pests, diseases but can also stimulate plant growth. Present paper deals with the role of P. lilacinus as biocontrol agent against root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita and P. variotii against Fusarium oxysporum, the causative agent of tomato wilt. The best nematicidal activity was obtained when P.lilacinus was allowed to incubate for two weeks. Percentage mortality of M.incognita was directly proportional to exposure period to culture filtrate. Toxicity was also directly correlated with the pH of the filtrate. FT-IR of the filtrate showed that the metabolites present in filtrate were polar in nature. The efficacy of P. variotii against F. oxysporum was evaluated and compared with chemical Carbendazene. Various parameters viz. growth and plant biomass yield, biochemical parameters and disease incidence were studied. The results pertaining to the biocontrol of the diseases indicated that there was no significant difference between chemical (71.3%) and P. variotii treatment (70.5%).

Biography

Satyawati Sharma has completed her Ph.D. on Biomass production, conversion and utilization from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. She is the Professor at Centre for Rural Development and Technology, IIT Delhi. Her areas of research are Wasteland Recovery through Biological Methods (Silvipastoral Technology, Mycorrhizal Technology & Biological Nitrogen Fixation), Biomass Production and Rural Bioconversion Technologies (Sericulture, Mushroom Cultivation and rapid composting), Tissue culture and Plant disease management. She has guided a number of Ph.D. (13), M.Tech (10), M.Phill and M.Sc students. She has published more than 60 papers in reputed international journals besides a number of papers in national journals. She is also serving as an editorial board member of some reputed international journals.